—Laura Purseglove

on the politics of art

Courtesy Hito Steyerl, Facebook.

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Street artist Shepard Fairey turned himself in to Detroit officials Wednesday morning, following his arrest in a Los Angeles Airport upon his return from Europe. He is being charged with two counts of malicious destruction of property for tagging nine properties, to which he has plead not guilty. (via the Los Angeles Times)

In 2018, the Musée du Louvre will begin transporting more than 250,000 artworks to a storage space in the small city of Liévin. The decision has drawn protest from 42 out of the museum’s 45 curators. The complex is yet to be built, but it was announced last week that British firm Rogers Stirk Harbour and Partners will be in charge of its design. The move, which was signed in 2013, will take at least five years to complete. (via The Art Newspaper)

and Bert Kreuk have begun a war of words after the contentious court ruling last month that declared Vo responsible for producing a new work for Kreuk within a year. Vo lashed out with a proposition for the work: a site specific wall piece of a line from The Exorcist, “SHOVE IT UP YOUR ASS, YOU FAGGOT”—Vo adds that Kreuk would have a voice in the selection of font and color. Kreuk publicly responded, stating that he thinks “it is now clear for everyone why I had to start a court case for the first time in 20 years.” (via artnet News)

The artists who were shown as a part of the German Pavilion at this year’s Venice Biennale,

, are showing support for Greece through the prominent display of the country’s flag. The artists hung a Greek flag, with the word “Germoney” above the pavilion’s entryway as a statement of protest to the austerity measures Germany is imposing on Greece. (via Artforum)

’s land art piece City (1972) has been in danger due to the possible development of a nuclear waste rail line through the region. But President Barack Obama has declared the area a national monument, protecting the iconic Basin and Range landscape and the artwork from environmental threats. (via Hyperallergic)

The Smithsonian has broken its silence regarding the inclusion of works owned by Bill Cosby and his wife in its current exhibition at the Museum of African Art, announcing that there will be a sign stating that the show is “fundamentally about the artworks and the artists who created them, not Mr. Cosby.” The Smithsonian reportedly hid the fact that it received a $716,000 gift from Cosby—an amount that would fully cover the costs of the current exhibition. (via NPR)

ON THE MOVE

Art Basel has announced that Noah Horowitz will be the next director of the fair’s Miami Beach edition. Horowitz will be leaving his position as executive director of the Armory Show in New York, which he has held since 2011. (via the New York Times)

The proposed plans for a five-year loan, starting in 2017, from the British Museum to the Sayed National Museum in Abu Dhabi could be valued up to $1.56 billion, according to insurance estimates. Approximately 500 pieces have been put on reserve for the future loan, which will come along with an annual fee that will alleviate the financial strain the British Museum has been facing after cuts to its funding. (via the Art Newspaper)

Shortly following the approval of Frank Gehry’s design for the Eisenhower memorial, Taiwan announced that it will donate $1 million towards the $142 million memorial, which will find its home on the National Mall. (via The New York Times)